Last week, a new Calvin Klein model made headlines for being a “plus-size” model for the company’s newest “Perfectly Fit” underwear campaign. Myla Dalbesio is a size 10, which is considered plus-size in the fashion industry. In regards to the ad she said, “It’s kind of confusing because I’m a bigger girl. I’m not the biggest girl on the market but I’m definitely bigger than all the girls [Calvin Klein] has ever worked with, so that is really intimidating.”
This is a huge deal for Dalbesio, not only because Clavin Klein has launched many model’s careers including Brooke Shields and Kate Moss, but because of her personal life. She has struggled with bulimia, crash dieting, and Adderall abuse in the past.
Dalbesio seems genuinely excited about the new ads, and while she knows she is not a “skinny” model, she also agrees she is not plus size. Of course, people took to twitter about the issue. Many seemed offended that people would even consider a size 10 to be plus-size. @char_daisy said, “Can’t believe the fashion industry are branding the new size 10 Calvin Klein model as plus size. No wonder girls have confidence issue.” @sirithomass tweeted, “Myla Dalbesio is so gorgeous, she’s a size 10 but considered to be a plus size model. The world and fashion industry is so fucked up.” Clearly people spoke out about this topic online.
In a statement release by Calvin Klein, they said “The Perfectly Fit line was created to celebrate and cater to the needs of different women, and these images are intended to communicate that our new line is more inclusive and available in several silhouettes in an extensive range of sizes.”
So what do you think? The model herself does not seem offended. While a size 10 is not plus-size in normal society, it will take a lot for the fashion industry to change their mind on what is and is not plus-size. I believe that Calvin Klein is taking step in the right direction by hiring Dalbesio as their newest underwear model. Hopefully this action will encourage other high fashion companies to move away from the “stereotypical model” and start using real, normal women to advertise their clothes.
Warren, R. (2014, November 11). People Think Calvin Klein’s New Size 10 Model Is Its Plus-Size Model. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
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I’m glad that Calvin Klein is depicting body image in a more realistic way, especially in a way that celebrates the uniqueness of the female body. Everyone is different, so it is important to cater to everyone through advertisements.
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It’s really amazing that Calvin Klein is choosing a more diverse group of women and body types. The really sad thing is that anybody would call this girl a plus sized model.
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I’m happy that more companies are beginning to embrace the “average” woman, and creating products that cater to more than just size 00. The only problem I really see happening is that although models are “supposed” to be gorgeous, it’s also not “average” for everyone woman to look like her. I’d like to see more companies really using the average woman.
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Is Calvin Klein labeling her as plus-size or is it just the fashion industry as a whole? I think it would be a smart move for Calvin Klein to not label the model as anything but a woman. They could set the standard, and hopefully the public would follow suit and simply see her as a model, or person, and that her size is irrelevant because she is beautiful in the clothes she is advertising. The fashion industry, of course, wouldn’t buy it but Calvin Klein as a brand could step away from fashion standards and I think the public would really appreciate that.
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